Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist

(Paperback)

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Age range 5 to 8

Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist, introduces children ages 5 to 8 to Mary Leakey, a paleontologist who lived and worked for much of her life in Africa, making discoveries that change the face of paleontology forever. Age-appropriate vocabulary, detailed illustrations, simple STEM projects such as drawing specimens, and a glossary all support foundational learning. Perfect for beginner readers or as a read aloud nonfiction picture book!

Reviews

School Library Journal Series Made Simple
"Four introductory volumes to the lives of prominent women of math and science. The reader learns about how they entered their fields, their work, and the challenges they faced. The biographies of Dorothy Vaughn and Mary Jackson also reveal their struggles with segregation at NASA. The text is straightforward and focuses strictly on their careers. Time lines in the back fill in gaps for the reader whose curiosity is piqued. Colorful illustrations nicely complement the narrative. VERDICT: Interesting takes on important women should appeal to both browsers and report writers."
Praise for other titles by Andi Diehn
Forces: Physical Science for Kids

Booklist Starred Review
" Forces , despite its down-to-earth scientific grounding, manages to do the nearly impossible. Diehn brings gravity, magnetism, push-pull forces, and friction to life in everyday contexts, without a hint of schoolroom jargon. Discussion of the forces arises naturally by inquiring what happens in a variety of situations. Shululu's illustrations add to the fun, giving the book a storybook quality. Children, parents, and teachers alike can enjoy learning the charming, often funny, relatable, and accessible science within this Picture Book Science series (4 titles) offering."
Archimedes Note Book

Paleontology Girls!

When Mary Leakey was a little girl, she and her father liked to learn about the past.

Mary didn't go to school like other kids. Instead, she read lots of books about things that interested her. Like fossils. She was passionate about fossils and became good at drawing them. When she grew older, she went to Africa and looked for fossils. She uncovered a skull that was about 16 million years old, and years later discovered fossilized footprints.

What I like about this book: It's fun to read, and I like how curiosity drives Mary to study fossils and footprints. I also like that author, Andi Diehn explains what paleontologists do when they find fossils. They describe where they found it - landscape and features - and then measure and draw the fossils. And there is back matter! An activity, some quotes and connections to the text, a timeline, and a glossary. Plus, it's part of a series that introduces women in science to young children.

Author Bio

Andi Diehn is a writer and editor with an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College. She is the author of the Picture Book Science series, Shakespeare: Investigate the Bard's Influence on Today's World, Technology: Cool Women Who Code, and Explore Poetry!, all from Nomad Press. She lives in Enfield, New Hampshire, with her family. Katie Mazeika is an illustrator with a focus in children's publishing. She loves creating illustrations with a strong narrative that are filled with color and texture. Her illustrations are primarily done in Photoshop. Katie is a member of the SCBWI.